Doppelganger
by Vixen Argentum
Summary: Levi knows the real reason why Auruo wears the cravat.


Written for zeroh on AO3

Yes, you read right. This is Levi/Auruo. Madness is delicious.

* * *

Auruo had been in the Scouting Legion for a year, and had surprised everybody but himself by already racking up fifteen solo kills and two team kills. He sauntered his way up the stairs to the office. It wasn't every day he was called in. He hoped it had something to do with his recent kill record, the chance to command a squad, a special commendation. It wasn't anywhere near Levi's record, but maybe, just maybe it was…enough. Enough to get him to notice.

Auruo opened the door to see Levi sitting in an armchair in the back of the room. Upon Auruo's entrance he uncrossed his legs and recrossed them the other way. He continued to stare out the window beside him.

"Some of the other soldiers have brought some things about you to my attention. In particular, your behavior," Levi said.

"Really? What behavior is that?" Auruo asked, closing the door behind him.

"Mostly that you use offensive language when working with a team. It upsets a friend of mine, but sometimes I think she gets bent out of shape over the stupidest shit." Levi sighed.

Levi gestured towards the soldiers who were outside training with their squads. "I look at all these fucking brats and they spazz out as soon as they notice I'm laying eyes on them."

Finally Levi turned to look at Auruo, fixing him in his steely grey eyes. He rested his head on a hand. "Are you any different?"

"No—I mean yes, heichou!" That was close…he almost bit his tongue. That always seemed to happen at the most inopportune moments.

Levi sighed. "C'mere. Lemme look."

When Auruo stood in front of his chair, Levi stood up. Even though Auruo stood half a head taller than him, he still felt dwarfed in his presence. Levi walked around him in a circle, checking him up and down. He was so close that he could feel the heat that burned through Levi's skin. He was the warmth of the sun exalted in human flesh.

Auruo flinched as a hand went through his hair.

"You used to have longer hair, but you cut it to be very short on the bottom. It's a lot like mine," Levi said.

"I…never noticed."

Levi looked up at him with a questioning look. "Okay…so apparently that was unconscious."

_Unconscious!?_

He continued circling again before he stopped right in front of him. Levi grabbed a hold of his cravat and untied it, leaving the two untied ends resting on his chest.

"If you're gonna do it at all, you're gonna fucking do it right," Levi growled. "Sure I'd have made fun of you if you asked me, but I'm not so much of an ass that I wouldn't teach you how to tie the thing right!"

He jerked the fabric so that one end hung much lower than the other. "You start it like this. Then you cross the ends and loop the long side around twice. Tuck the long end up behind the loop and let it hang over the knot."

Auruo was frozen in place. Levi carefully positioned the two layers of fabric, stroking them, Levi's hand at his chest.

"I'll ask you again, Auruo. Are you any different from the rest of them?"

Levi's hand still touched him, burning through his clothes. "Yes," said Auruo.

"Why?" It was such a simple question, yet from his lips, it fell, heavy.

"Why?" Auruo placed his hand over Levi's. "Because the one person I'm like is you."

Levi straightened up his posture and regarded the resolve in Auruo's eyes. He grabbed his cravat and pulled Auruo down into a rough kiss. Auruo hadn't lied; he was just as cavalier in the way he met him. They pushed forward, lips upon lips and tongue struggling against tongue.

Levi pulled back.

"Well, now that I know what the fuck that was all about, you're dismissed," Levi said coolly.

Auruo saluted him and turned to walk out the door. "Thank you, heichou."

"Keep it up," said Levi. "If you want to see more of me."

"Don't delude yourself," said Auruo as he left the office. "It'll be because you want to see more of me."

The door slammed. Levi blushed. He loved himself more than anyone else. However, Auruo was a doppelganger indeed.


End file.
